Freedom is the key to everything good

Fred on Poverty

"I read somewhere that 77 per cent of all the mentally ill live in poverty. Actually, I'm more intrigued by the 23 per cent who are apparently doing quite well for themselves." - Jerry Garcia I've expressed my view on world poverty a number of times, most recently here. “ If these nations want to eliminate poverty and hunger, here's how. Democratize, lower taxes, and encourage individual initiative. And never put a "progressive" in charge. Ever. ” Vilmar sent me this article by Fred on Everything that expands on that philosophy, it's a very good read. Here's a few snippets. “ *Suspected Economic Law: The easier it is to bribe a working-stiff cop, the poorer the country. *A serious obstacle to prosperity is Half-Assedness, a quality not widely recognized in econometrics but well known to experienced travelers. Half-Assedness is a curious mixture of just not giving a damn, lack of ambition, little interest in academics, and sometimes something that looks like lethargy. *Another element of Half-Assedness is, depending on your politics, cultural or inherent, but unmistakable. Some populations just aren’t very bright, or at any rate don’t seem to be. Sub-Saharan Africa, though rich in resources, is pea-turkey poor and not improving. Arab countries, even when awash in oil money, do not establish First World societies that could survive without oil. In South America the white countries, such as Chile and Argentina, could be in Europe. The highly Indian countries, as for example Bolivia and Peru, would be basket cases if they could afford the basket. *Suspected Economic Law: The more European or East Asian blood, the more money. ”